In The Name Of National Security

November 26, 1992

Britain's parliamentary system of government is often touted as a good model for the world. It is in many ways, but not when it comes to government investigating itself.

The weakness was exposed recently when prosecutors abruptly ended a trial in London involving allegations that a British company illegally supplied Iraqi President Saddam Hussein's military machine before the Persian Gulf war.

During the fourth week of the trial, a key witness said he helped the company export to Iraq when he was a government official. The trial had already uncovered a secret government program that enabled Mr. Hussein to buy tools and technology to make arms. Documents revealed that British exports to Iraq were encouraged for two reasons: to enable the companies to spy on Iraq and and report their findings to London; to compete with German, Japanese and French exporters who were eager to satisfy Mr. Hussein's demand for military technology.

When the evidence in court proved increasingly embarrassing for Prime Minister John Major's government, prosecutors decided to terminate the trial. British officials are no less ashamed than U.S. officials to use national security as a reason to cover up scandals.

But in Washington, Congress may convene inquiries, require witnesses to testify and have the government produce relevant documents. The Mother of Parliaments does not launch such inquiries because it's controlled by the party that runs the government. Mr. Major wouldn't be prime minister if his Conservative Party didn't have a parliamentary majority.

In the face of a public uproar, Mr. Major ordered a judicial inquiry into the fiasco. A High Court judge will conduct the hearings. He will hold public and private sessions, and investigators will have access to all papers and witnesses, it was announced.

Although that's all well and good, it does not guarantee sunshine on this bit of government wrongdoing. Watergate and Irangate, for example, received full public exposure in Washington. Similar malfeasance is not likely to see the light of day in London